Contributions
271 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD20 Years of DevolutionJust to be absolutely clear to the Chairman of the Scottish Affairs Committee, he knows that I welcome and support his Committee’s report, but the Dunlop review is about how the…11 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentI agree that no technology should be off the table; all the new technologies and all the existing technologies should be part of the Government’s consideration. I was talking…10 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentWe need to do something, and I think we need to have a discussion about what that means, because I think the House has a part to play in that something that we need to do. I have…10 Jul 2019HANSARDScottish Local Authorities: Communication with UK GovernmentI thank the Minister for that reply and may I say how proud I was to stand up for the principle of devolution yesterday in this House? I know that the people of Stirling want…10 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentThere is sometimes a very strong case for minority Governments, in the sense that we do then have to depend more on reaching out across the Floor of the House. It is true that all…10 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. Now is the time to unite the generations and the nation itself to tackle the challenge that lies before us. Yes, we have filled columns and…10 Jul 2019HANSARDScottish Local Authorities: Communication with UK Government1. What steps he is taking to ensure that communication between the UK Government and Scottish local authorities is maintained.10 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentIt is a privilege to follow my friend, the hon. Member for Leeds West (Rachel Reeves). I am very proud to serve on her Select Committee, because I think we do a lot of really good…10 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentThat was a good intervention from my hon. Friend, and I do have a lot of those concerns. For example, I have concerns about the status of the SMETS 2 meter installation,…10 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentWill my right hon. and learned Friend give way?10 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentI understand the motivation, but, in good Scots tongue, “I hae ma doots” about whether that is a workable solution. I know the hon. Gentleman says that the Scottish Government are…10 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentIndeed. I am grateful for that intervention and I will come on to talk about some of those issues, some of the lessons that we can learn and some of the opportunities that we can…10 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentThe hon. Gentleman is moving on to discuss the broader issue of the environment, I think. A report last week from Zero Waste Scotland suggested that Scottish households spend £600…10 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentI am grateful to the Chairman of the Select Committee that I have the privilege of serving on for giving way. There is a triple win here. A lot of ill health stems from…10 Jul 2019HANSARD Climate Change, the Environment and Global DevelopmentMy right hon. and learned Friend talks about air quality and electric vehicles. Should we have an ambitious target to eliminate internal combustion engine vehicles in our cities…10 Jul 2019HANSARDTopical QuestionsThere does not seem to be any lack of applicants to join the armed forces, so can the Minister tell us what progress is being made to shorten the time between application and the…08 Jul 2019HANSARDOutsourced ContractsThe Ministry of Defence has a target of spending 25% of its budget with small and medium-sized enterprises by 2022. What progress has been made towards achieving that target?08 Jul 2019HANSARDWhistleblowingWhistleblowers are heroes, not villains—although sometimes there are villains in their stories—and they should be treated with respect and listened to. Sometimes they are looking…03 Jul 2019HANSARDWhistleblowingI completely agree with my hon. and gallant Friend. I cannot understand why any organisation would not embrace the feedback someone brings them when it has to do with the types of…03 Jul 2019HANSARDWhistleblowingI completely understand, and am sympathetic to, that point. We need to work together to establish this independent office of the whistleblower. Sometimes whistleblowers pay such a…03 Jul 2019